Man punched in the face in brazen attack at San Francisco bus stop
Risley suffered swelling, a black eye and what appears to be broken capillaries on his nose
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Days after multiple people were punched in the face or swung at in one San Francisco neighborhood, a new case is coming to light in another part of the city.
On September 17, the unexpected happened. While waiting for the bus at Geneva and Mission, Risley Biserra was randomly punched in the face.
"He's just here to make a living and was on his way to work and then all of a sudden, he gets attacked," says Rexanne Biserra, Risley's niece. Her uncle reenacted the attack as a swift punch to the face.
A father of two from the Philippines, he just celebrated 10 years living in San Francisco.
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Photos taken immediately after the attack show Risley suffered swelling, a black eye and what appeared to be broken capillaries on his nose. He says he missed three days of work to recover and believes he was targeted because of his race.
"After he was punched and fell down, the guy said, 'want to fight, Asian?'" recalls both Risley and Rexanne.
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This brazen attack comes at around the same time at least three people ranging from 14 to 72 were either punched in the head-or swung at along West Portal Avenue.
Risley's incident varies slightly from the ones that happened in West Portal. However, the majority of victims, once they decide to speak out, say they had a hard time reporting their case to police.
"He reported it on a non-emergency line, I wish they had done something," Rexanne said.
That call to the non-emergency line for SFPD call came after an initial 911 call. After more calls and what the Biserra's say felt like the runaround, Risley's niece says two officers then reached out once ABC7 made some inquires to SFPD.
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"They were very helpful and told me they're going to try and do something."
It's unclear if SFPD was ever informed of Risley's case after that first round of phone calls. However, they did provide a website showing the proper protocols for reporting crime.
Rexanne hopes by sharing her uncle's story, it will make a difference.
"I feel like I'm encouraging other to speak on behalf of their families that are hurting."
